


New Bootyguard

by genderfluid_pigeon



Series: Nutmas 2017 [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Major Character Injury, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, blood mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 03:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13114926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderfluid_pigeon/pseuds/genderfluid_pigeon
Summary: Tony ran from the crowd with Steve right beside him, both breathing heavy. The crowd was stopped when the pair ran through the gate which slammed shut behind them. Slowing to a walk they both breathlessly laughed and smiled at one another. Steve was bent double with his hands on his knees.“Steve, my dear, dear, Steven, next time you suggest something with that asshole tone of voice I’m saying no,” Tony wheezed.Steve straightened up for a second and stretched his back with a grunt before replying, “I don’t quite know what you mean! My plan worked perfectly. You’re home safe and you had fun, what more could a bodyguard do for their boss?”Tony straightened up some, rubbing his chest. It was unusually sore today. He shot Steve an unbelieving look and mumbled, “Ass.”“Yes, you do have a nice one,” Steve muttered. Tony blushed and lightly swatted at Steve’s shoulder.





	New Bootyguard

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGMJ2b-3eCk Here's Yiruma's "Love Me"

Tony ran from the crowd with Steve right beside him, both breathing heavy. The crowd was stopped when the pair ran through the gate which slammed shut behind them. Slowing to a walk they both breathlessly laughed and smiled at one another. Steve was bent double with his hands on his knees.

“Steve, my dear, dear, Steven, next time you suggest something with that  _ asshole _ tone of voice I’m saying no,” Tony wheezed.

Steve straightened up for a second and stretched his back with a grunt before replying, “I don’t quite know what you mean! My plan worked perfectly. You’re home safe and you had fun, what more could a bodyguard do for their boss?”

Tony straightened up some, rubbing his chest. It was unusually sore today. He shot Steve an unbelieving look and mumbled, “Ass.”  

“Yes, you do have a nice one,” Steve muttered. Tony blushed and lightly swatted at Steve’s shoulder.

Suddenly Steve shoved him down as a gunshot sounded off. Steve grunted in pain and that was when Tony remembered that Steve wasn’t wearing his bulletproof vest. Tony felt a surge of panic rocket through him. This could  _ not _ be happening. He needed Steve like he needed Pep or Happy or Rhodey. 

Steve went limp on top of him. Tony furiously wiggled and dialed Pepper’s number. After two rings she answered.

“Tony, what do you want?” She sniped, obviously a bit upset over something.

“Virginia, Steven’s been shot. We’re just inside the gate of my Malibu place. Get the police here fast I need to keep him safe,” Tony rambled, desperate.

“Tony what the-Jesus! Fine, fine ok. I’m hanging up,  _ stay calm _ ,” and Pepper hung up.

Tony stayed still and listened to Steve’s labored breeding. He was vaguely aware of screaming in the background but he didn’t care. He needed Steve’s wheezing laughter. He needed the smile he had come to live for. He needed Steve and someone had just maybe taken it away from him.

* * *

 

Tony Stark was a genius. Everyone knew this. His several doctorates even attested to this fact. He had more honorary degrees from universities he had never been to let alone lectured at. He was smart and he knew this. He knew how much knowledge he held and he knew the longer time ran on without a bodyguard the longer he was in danger. He just hated the idea of some buff goon coming along and following him around all day. It wasn’t exactly his style. 

This brought Tony to his current predicament; deciding his new bodyguard. He had thrown out everything except an identifying picture and how well they had done in the physical fights. While yes, he wished that his bodyguard would not be in any fights; he knew that these fights were a thing to go with the job.

Someone with the name of Giovanni was looking good so far. He had made it through all but one of the fights he had set up. Natasha had taken the poor man down easily it seemed. Taking a drink of his coffee cup (emblazoned with a war machine decal) he turned to the final contestant and he immediately spit coffee everywhere in shock. _ Someone had taken down Natasha _ . Coughing to clear his airways of any offending bean water he looked at the name and the picture. His name was Steven Grant Rogers and he didn’t look like a typical bodyguard from his face. He seemed, in a word, tiny.

Putting down his coffee he called to JARVIS, “Hey Jay, do we have anything on a Steven Grant Rogers?”

There was a pause where he could practically hear the AI’s brain whirring before multiple holo-screens appeared projected from the ceiling with a, “This is the beginning, sir.” There was a full bio on one screen with medical records (sealed),  a couple screens with videos of him fighting, and finally a sealed SHIELD file with most of what he could see blacked out. Grabbing the final screen and bringing it towards him.

“Let’s dig deeper into this project shall we, Jay?” He asked.

“Very well, sir, and may I remind you Miss Potts requests you have you bodyguard picked out by tomorrow. As Miss Potts told me to remind you, you have exactly one hour and thirty minutes left in the day. As per her request, I will be reminding you every thirty minutes until thirty minutes then at twenty, fifteen, ten, five, and one minute, just in case,” JARVIS said sounding a bit too smug to be regretful of doing that.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and made some waving motions with his hand, “Fine! That’s fine, perfect. Uhhh, I’ll hire Steve then. You nagging me makes me want to rescind Pep’s access. Remind me to do that.”

“Very well, sir, I will add it to the list. Shall I put it before or after rocket powered roller-skates?” JARVIS said with as much mirth as he could manage.

Tony snorted and picked up his coffee, scooping up a tablet. JARVIS helpfully transferred the documents immediately as he headed to his lab, or shop. Considering the car in it right now it could be called either. Taking a deep swallow of coffee he shot a small smile at the ceiling as the doors opening for him.

Grabbing his favorite rolling chair he rolled over to his work station and pulled up Steven’s files. He began to dig in SHIELD but everything he searched for came up with dead ends. It seemed that the papers just  _ didn’t exist _ on the server SHIELD put everyone else’s files on. Not  matter how much he dug more and more loose ends kept coming up.

Around 4am he called it a night and stumbled blindly over to the couch in his workshop. Shaking out the blanket someone (anyone from Pepper to You) had folded there he flopped down on it ungracefully and covered himself. Using his arm as a pillow he let sleep take him while he pondered over his new bodyguard.

He woke up to being prodded by someone or thing. Seeing as he hadn’t opened his eyes he didn’t know yet. Rolling to face the back of the couch he pulled the blankets tighter around him and murmured, “Nooooooooo, go awayyyyyyyyy.”

“Tony, It’s two in the afternoon you have a meeting in an hour get up,” a voice that was, yep, definitely Pepper’s told him.

An arm snaked its way out of his blanket cocoon and he flipped her off. Another voice huffed out a laugh while Pepper side and he instantly jerked upwards. Hissing internally about the pain that caused in his chest. He turned his body as much as he could and found himself face to chest with Steven Grant Rogers. 

He was short but so was the couch. He stood maybe 5’4” and he had sparkling amused blue eyes and longer blonde hair almost artfully pushed out of his face in a little swooshing style. His cheekbones were prominent and immediately Tony was reminded of Leonardo’s famous equations of beauty in a human. Full Cupid’s bow lips  were drawn in a close lipped smile.

Tony knew then and there he was royally screwed in more ways than one. He had a hot bodyguard. Well not  _ conventionally _ hot but hot nonetheless. This would be a huge problem. He really didn’t want to get caught screwing his bodyguard and ruin his reputation.

* * *

 

The ambulance arrived after too long and Steve’s breathing had gone too shallow. Tony feared moving because he might have hurt Steve more if he did. The gates opened and Pepper ran up to them. The paramedics pulled Steve off him and strapped him in. 

Everything was too loud and too fast and too close. Someone was sitting him up and asking him questions he barely heard. He just wanted Steve back. Where was Steve? He needed Steve.

“Tones, Tony!” a voice shouted or maybe said, everything was so loud it was hard to tell. 

Tony blinked back to himself and found he was sitting on the bench not far from where he had been lying when Steve had been shot. He had a bright orange blanket on himself and his brow wrinkled in confusion. Looking to the hand that was rubbing his back he found Rhodey looking at him very worriedly.

“What? Yeah, I’m here what’s with the shouting?” he mumbled, beginning to worm his way out of his blanket.

“Tony, you’re in shock keep the goddamn blanket on,” Rhodey fussed as he put the blanket back on Tony.

Tony looked Rhodes in the eye and snapped, “I’m not in shock I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m perfectly fine.”

Rhodey removed his hand from Tony’s back and said, “Really? So the bloodstain on your shirt and pants doesn’t bother you and your hands naturally shake like that.”

Tony blinked and looked down at the said stain and screamed. His legs kicked him up and over the back of the bench as he tried to get away from his own clothes. His scream attracted the paramedics who had been standing a few feet away, waiting on Rhodey to calm him down and check for injuries. His hands wouldn’t quite shake shake  _ shaking _ and his breaths were coming in deep ugly gasps.

Rhodey got to his side first and on instinct Tony curled into his chest like he used to at MIT. He ignored the way the paramedics poked and prodded at him but was like putty in Rhodey’s arms. It took them awhile but they learned he had no injuries unless you counted slightly scratched arms. 

Rhodey picked him up and carried him to his house. The blanket was stripped from him and gentle hands lead him to his bathroom where he was stripped and let to sit alone on the edge of his large jacuzzi. 

“Jay? You there?” He asked in a small voice.

“For you, sir, always,” His AI answered.

“Jay, where did I go wrong this time? He was cute and kind and had a  _ great _ ass. Not to mention his personality I mean  _ wow _ sign me up. He just, saved me though. He just-” his voice cracked and he went silent. A tear slipped down his cheek followed by another until he was bent double sobbing on his tub.

JARVIS began to play a song,  _ their _ song, over the speakers.

* * *

 

Tony was sitting at his piano. Well, it was his mother’s piano but it was his now. She’d been gone for awhile so it dropped to him. His fingers were lightly resting on the keys, ready to play a song. He could play a classic of his mother’s or one he had just learned.

It was at this quandary Steve walked in, drying his hair with a towel. He had a shirt and sweatpants on and looked like he lived in Tony’s house, which he did. It was discovered early on that Tony needed to be guarded at all times of the day so when Pepper asked Tony if Steve could move in Tony was happy to have the room (and the eye candy). 

So, Steve had moved into the room closest to Tony. All of the rooms were soundproofed so anything untoward in Tony’s room never reached anyone else’s ears.

Not that anything untoward had happened in his room since Afghanistan. Gaining a nightlight you had to hide from everyone but your closest three friends (even Steve didn’t know). It also kind of ruined the mood when you left your bulletproof vest on. It was fine though, he wasn’t bothered.

“I didn’t know you played,” Steve commented. He’d only been on the job for three weeks why would he.

“Ah, yeah. I used to play a ton but now I barely have the time,” Tony sighed.

His fingers lightly pressed a few keys in the beginning of one of his favorite songs, Yiruma’s  _ Love Me _ . Steve walked closer and made a keep going motion. Tony obliged and continued in the haunting melody. He kept his gaze on the keys, it  _ had _ been awhile since he last played. 

This song was probably very ironic and only to Tony given he was saying to Steve what he couldn’t say out loud to him. He wanted Steve’s love. Even after only three weeks the man had wormed his way inside of Tony’s damaged, fragile, heart. Tony hoped Steve felt the same way but he was professional as always and nothing got in his way. Finally, his fingers pressed the last few notes of the song.

“That was beautiful Tony,” Steve praised.

He nodded, “Yeah it’s one of my favorite songs. I can play it for you anytime if you’d like?”

Steve nodded and lightly patted Tony’s shoulder, “It can be  _ our _ song.”

Tony’s throat went dry and he stared at Steve with something close to mind boggling amazement. Steve blushed and scratched the back of his head with a shrug.

“I could have phrased that better but you get what I mean, don’t you?” Steve said.

Tony nodded tightly and whispered, “Yeah, I do.” Or, at least, he hoped he did. They could be nothing but friends and he had to be okay with that.

* * *

 

Rhodey walked in and sat Tony’s clothes on the counter and went to hug Tony. He gently rocked him and ran a hand through Tony’s hair. This continued for some time as Tony cried into Rhodey’s shoulder before he pulled away with a large sniff. He rubbed at his eyes and nose for a few seconds.

“You know, Platypus, if you wanted to cuddle me naked all you have to do is ask,” Tony joked.

Rhodey snorted in reply, “Come on, let’s get you in a shower. Do you need help?”

Tony waved him off and said, “No, no, I’m fine but if it makes you feel better you can wait outside the room and listen. I draw the line at you watching me shower naked.”

Rhodey laughed and nodded, “You know where I’ll be then.”

Tony nodded and waited for his friend to exit before he climbed in his shower and turned it scalding hot. His skin itched and burned as he stood there beneath the spray. After a few minutes he began to properly clean himself knowing he was filthy from Steve’s blood. (Just the thought of Steve bleeding and how much was on his shirt and pants made his stomach turn terribly and twist itself in knots.) Scrubbing himself furiously he was pretty sure his skin wasn’t only red from the water.

Finally stepping out he toweled off and got dressed, ignoring how he must have looked in the mirror. His mirror brought back too many memories for him.

* * *

 

Three months in and Tony was perfectly sure Steve knew he had a crush on him. That or Steve was a huge tease without meaning to be. On his days off at the manor he would wear skin tight shirts and booty shorts that had Tony’s eyes anywhere but on Steve’s face. In any case Tony was completely enamoured and everyone  _ but _ Steve knew. Pepper had even drawn up the paperwork that would let the two of them date if Tony ever got off his ass and did something about it.

It happened when Tony was getting out of his jacuzzi. He had been wearing swim trunks in the tub (call him weird, he did it sometimes) when he got out and stumbled, taking a whole shelf of products with him. They all crashed on the floor and many of the glass shattered loudly against the tile floor. He barely managed to catch himself against the lower shelf.

“Tony? You okay? I’m coming in!” Steve called from the hallway.

Tony cursed in his mind and looked down at his chest which proudly displayed his arc reactor. Well, no time like the present to reveal huge secrets, he grouched in his mind. He just had time to catch his breath when Steve opened the door.

“Tony, thank God you’re fine. Er, what happened?” Steve said, standing in the door and observing the damage of ten contents emptied and shattered against the floor.

“Well, you see, I can be quite clumsy sometimes. My mind wanted me to go one way and my body went another way. I’m fine though. Maybe get me some socks and shoes from another room and let me dry off and change and I can explain the glowy chest thing too?” He babbled slightly.

Steve answered, “Okay, that works for me, thought you don’t have to explain anything you don’t want to.”

“You deserve an explanation, Steve,” Tony insisted.

Forty minutes and two small cuts on their hands later Tony and Steve sat down on the big couch in the living room. Their knees were brushing when Tony’s went to move from nervous energy. He had his vest and his shirt on so the glow was gone but he could still  _ see _ it, the way he looked in the mirror when he realized Steve would learn one of his biggest secrets and the way that made his heart clench had him almost running for the hills.

“So, uh, before we begin do you have any questions about what you saw in the bathroom?” Tony asked, nervously licking his lips. (He missed the way Steve followed every movement with his eyes.)

“Yes,” Steve answered and Tony’s heart fell before Steve continued, “Were those Batman swim trunks?”

Tony choked on his spit. He coughed a few times before getting out, “What?”

“Well, you always seemed more of a Wonder Woman person to me,” Steve smirked, eyes glittering with amusement.

Tony’s eyes narrowed before he said, “Ass. I own both though, for your information. Seriously though, nothing about the giant glowing  _ thing _ in my chest?”

“Well,” Steve licked his lips in thought and Tony traced every movement intently, “one would assume that it had something to do with you heart. Given that I was given a tour of every facility  _ by you _ I saw the large arc reactor from a few floors above and, by the way correct me if I am wrong, judging by how the ‘thing’ in you chest and the reactor look the same I would hazard a guess to say you have a miniature arc reactor in you chest. The only question I would have is why.”

Tony was blown away by that. No one had made the connections until he had told them and here was Steve being absolutely brilliant. Without thinking he pulled Steve into him with a crushing hug. Steve wheezed at the tightness but returned it nonetheless. Tony felt a tear slip out of one of his eyes and he sniffed.

Pulling away he patted Steve’s chest lightly and said, “Well, you see when I was kidnapped in Afghanistan I got some shrapnel in my chest. The arc reactor powers and electromagnet in my chest to keep the last of the shrapnel from killing me.”

Steve nodded, “Nice to know. Can I see it again? It looked really cool?”

Tony nodded a “yes” and walked back to his, now clean, bathroom and stripped from his AC/DC shirt and unzipped his vest, pulling it open. Steve looked at in in fascination and leaned close to the reactor. His already blue eyes gained a new sheen in the light reflected from the reactor that took Tony’s breath away. With gentle movements Steve lightly traced the arc reactor which made Tony shudder beneath his touch. Soft fingers slowly moved along the scars left from not only the initial accident but the palladium poisoning as well. They didn’t hurt but Tony was once again struck by how beautiful Steve was in the light of his reactor.

Stepping away Steve had a contemplative look in his eyes before he proposed, “That’s why your chest hurts so much, I’m sorry.”

Tony got the breath knocked out of him again but was even more breathless when Steve asked, “Can I kiss you?”

He probably made some really intelligent noise but his head nodded so when Steve pulled him down but his vest to place a soft kiss on his lips. He pulled away but Tony circled his arms around his waist and kissed him again. It started slow and sweet but when Steve groaned and pulled him closer it suddenly became much more  _ heated _ .

When they finally broke away Tony managed to catch sight of them in the mirror. Both of them had blown pupils and puffy lips. He instantly treasured the view.

* * *

 

Walking out into his bedroom and continuing into the living room Tony called, “JARVIS, what hospital is Steve being sent to or at?”

“He is currently in the OR of Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital, Sir,” came the response.

“Rhodey, come on we’re heading out! Jay, put the directions in my gps to the porsche,” Tony shouted then ordered.

“Tones, what the hell do you mean we’re heading out? You can barely drive,” Rhodey tried reasoning with him as he walked down to the garage.

“Perfect! You can drive for me! Thanks, Rhodey-bear!” Tony said, kissing Rhodey’s cheek.

“Tones that is  _ not _ what I mean,” Rhodey said wiping at his cheek but he still grabbed the porsche’s keys as he walked.

Tony looked back at him and stopped for a second. His eyes showed a fragility that was very rarely there. They sparkled with pain and longing.

“James,  _ I have to go _ ,” Tony begged.

Rhodey choked on his spit. Tony  _ never _ called him James. Sometimes he completely forgot that was even his name. Everyone at work called him Rhodes and everyone of Tony’s friends called him the same or Rhodey. No one  _ ever _ called him James. So, to hear it from Tony was one heck of a wake up call. Nodding and swallowing he pushed past Tony and got in the driver’s seat of the porsche. There was no escaping this.

The drive to the hospital was silent. Tony let the breeze ruffle his eyes and most of his expression hidden behind his huge aviators he had slipped on. His mouth was pressed in a line and he propped up his head on his hand and watched the world slip by.

Rhodey, for his part, focused on driving and listening to the gps. The drive wasn’t too long but when he tossed the valet the keys and gave him a couple hundred dollars the poor boy looked ready to die of shock. 

Patting his shoulder Rhodey said, “Yeah, you’ll never get used to it.”

It had been four hours and him and Rhodey had seen or heard nothing more than “He’s in surgery right now Mr. Stark.” Tony was sure he was slowly going insane. He was also pretty sure he was wearing a track into their nice tiled floors. So far he had made exactly 275 circuits of his pacing track. Rhodey had gotten him coffee but it sat alone and untouched.

* * *

 

They were laying in bed together. Nothing had happened, even if Tony had wanted it so desperately to happen. Steve had said something about being proper and not having sex for the first six months, which Tony thought was absolutely terrible.

Steve’s head was right next to the arc reactor which meant Tony could  _ just _ look down and see his face. It was a sight Tony was sure he would never get used to. The harsh yet soft light of the reactor illuminated every features of Steve’s. His hair cast a shadow against his forehead but Tony just found that amazing.

Almost as if he could sense Tony staring at him Steve stirred and opened his eyes. They immediately met Tony’s. Together they shared a small smile and when Steve leaned forward Tony met him for a sweet kiss.

Without warning Steve wrapped his arms around Tony and flipped their positions. Despite being so small he was strong. Sure his elbows sometimes dug into Tony and Tony was always scared that he was going to snap like a twig but he took care of everything really well.

Tony sighed against Steve’s chest and was already drifting off when Steve began to run a hand through his hair. Smiling he nuzzled his was up into the crook of Steve’s neck and fell asleep draped across Steve.

* * *

 

They were finally allowed back to see Steve. Well, Tony was. Rhodey had work to get to via War Machine armor and wasn’t as attached to Steve as he was. 

He all but stumbled into the room and held himself up (barely) by his arms on the hospital bed. The room had a beautiful view but Tony grew sick as he looked at Steve. He was incredibly pale against the white sheets. If anything they sucked more color from him. He hated it.

Walking up to Steve he took his hand and drug a chair up to the side, resolved to wait it out until Steve woke up and was fine.

At some point he must have fallen asleep because he woke up to Steve stroking his hair. Jerking to sit up he smiled at Steve. This was different from his regular smiles. It wasn’t his “good morning, I love you” smile or his “I think I just fell a little more in love with you” smile or even his “you’re the only thing in this world that I care for” smile. This smile said “I almost didn’t make it without you don’t leave me.” Steve heard this and smiled back at him.

Steve took Tony gently by the chin and guided him forward, Tony like putty in his hand, and kissed his nose.

“I knew what I was getting into Tony. I signed up for this. You’re safe that’s all that matters,” He whispered.

“You weren’t safe though,” Tony protested.

“I guess you need a bodyguard for your bodyguard,” Steve joked.

Tony shook his head and sat back, silently lamenting the loss of touch from Steve. 

He said, “You’re fired.”

Steve gaped at him and began to sputter some sentences before Tony held up a hand and Steve stopped.

“You’re fired because I can’t have my  _ boyfriend _ endangering himself like this ever again. I need you by my side Steve. When you got shot my world ended. I thought you died and I almost did something I would have regretted the rest of my life. Please, Steve, stay with me,” Tony begged, a few tears slipping down his face.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Steve’s knuckles. His own hands were shaking as he held Steve’s and he muffled his sobs against Steve’s hand. Steve looked to him and his heart broke. Sometimes he forgot Tony was just a man. A powerful one but a man nonetheless. A man who had lost too much.

“Tony, I’m not mad. I’m just surprised. If that’s what you think is best I will accept that. Maybe Nat can take over my job and we can make the vests and shielding permanent fixtures?” Steve suggested.

Tony wiped his tears and sat up, “Yea that could work. I just want to be together.”

Steve nodded, “Together.”

That’s what they were; together. You never saw one without the other for long after this. They went to therapy together. They ate together. They slept together. It was their natural state of being, many said. Sure, they had their fights but everyone could agree that their wedding was the most honest, loving, and beautiful of the century.


End file.
